Criminal Law

Definition - What does Criminal Law mean?

Criminal law is an area of law that governs crimes including felonies and misdemeanors. It involves the prosecution of an individual by the government for activities that are classified as crimes. While civil law focuses on resolving disputes between parties and providing compensation to victims, the emphasis of criminal law is on punishing those found guilty of a crime in a court of law and keeping society safe from conduct that has been outlined as a threat.

Justipedia explains Criminal Law

Criminal law deals with crimes and punishing individuals who are found guilty of a crime in a court of law. Criminal law regulates social conduct and works as a deterrent against committing wrongful acts. The laws and punishments for specific crimes are present in the penal code enacted by legislators at the federal, state, and local levels. Generally, crimes and their punishments are classified on the basis of their seriousness under to main classifications: felony and misdemeanor.